PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

John “Jack” V. O’Hara, a partner with Philadelphia law firm Obermayer, Rebmann,

Maxwell & Hippel, has lost his battle with cancer.

The attorney, who was only 48 years old, died Dec. 1 after succumbing to the disease, the firm announced this week.

O’Hara was a partner in Obermayer’s Business and Finance Department and was a member of the firm’s Health Care Practice Group.

The lawyer was known for his “meticulous attention to detail and ability to close deals,” Obermayer announced in a statement posted to its website.

“In addition to his wealth of knowledge about the law, Jack had an extraordinary talent to move parties past obstacles to get their deals done,” Robert Whitelaw, Obermayer’s managing partner, said in a statement. “Jack conducted himself in a quiet manner but when it came to representing his clients, he was as staunch an advocate as you could hope for. He was well-liked and well-respected by everyone he dealt with – a truly unique accomplishment.”

O’Hara had received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, his biography shows.

It was at Penn that O’Hara also served for two years as an editor of the school’s Law Review.

O’Hara joined the firm Dilworth Paxson as an associate right out of law school. He joined Obermayer in 1992, and had remained with the Philadelphia firm ever since.

“I have known Jack O’Hara since he was a summer intern at Dilworth and he joined me in coming to Obermayer,” Thomas Leonard, chair of Obermayer’s Litigation Department, said in a statement. “Over the last 25 years, I have had the privilege of watching Jack become a brilliant lawyer and an exceptional husband and father.

“You could not have asked for a better partner,” Leonard continued. “He will truly be missed by everyone who knew him.”

O’Hara’s colleagues described the attorney as “selfless, thoughtful and a low key person,” Obermayer’s announcement stated.

“Jack was always more concerned about the needs and the feelings of others than his own,” read the law firm’s announcement. “He was an all-around giving person; his clients’ interests were foremost in his mind, he made time to mentor young associates and he earned the trust and respect of everyone he worked with.

“All this was done, however, without sacrificing time with his family which was Jack’s first priority.”

O’Hara was scheduled to be buried at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Springfield, Pa. following a funeral service on Dec. 6.

O’Hara is survived by his wife, Lisa, 18-year-old son, Ryan, and daughters Elaine, 15, and Mairead, 9.